Vise parallel means



March 24, 1970 W. P. KAZO LIAS VISE PARALLEL MEANS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed March 13, 1967 March 24, 1970 W.-P. KAZOLIAS 3,502,319

VISE PARALLEL MEANS Filed March 13, 1967 3 SheetsSheet 2 March 24, 1970w. KAZOLIAS 3,502,319

VISE PARALLEL MEANS Filed March 13. 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 United StatesPatent 3,502,319 VISE PARALLEL MEANS William P. Kazolias, 80 Palmer St.,Adams Shore, Quincy, Mass. 02150 Filed Mar. 13, 1967, Ser. No. 622,686Int. Cl. B25b 1/24, /16

US. Cl. 269-280 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE From the foregoingabstract it will be seen that the invention relates to holding means forsecuring a workpiece in a position to be machined to a desired size orshape and, more particularly, the invention is concerned 2 with animproved vise grip and parallel assembly by means of which a workpiecemay be more conveniently and accurately positioned in a desired workingposition so that it may be engaged by a machine tool as, for example, amilling cutter or the like.

In a great many machine operations, it is frequently necessary to dealwith a range of workpiece sizes and shapes and these workpieces must besupported on a horizontally extending parallel surface in a trueparallel position. For this purpose standard vise parallels areordinarily employed in the bottom of the vise. In such case the width ofthe workpiece must obviously be greater than the width of the parallelin order for the movable jaw to engage a vertical surface of theworkpiece. This may necessitate the selection and positioning of anumber of parallels for different workpiece thicknesses and a range ofsizes of parallels may be required to be kept on hand.

A further even more important consideration is the need for locating theworkpiece on the horizontal parallel surface in a solidly basedposition. This is usually made certain by means of feeler gauges and theoperator customarily taps or drives the workpiece lightly down onto theparallel surface to eliminate any space which the feeler gauge detects.Here a problem arises with many relatively narrow workpieces where theworkpiece is of a Width less than the width of standard feeler gauges.In such case there may be insuflicient room to insert the feeler gaugewhile the movable jaw is engaging the workpiece.

The present invention seeks to deal with the problems indicated and toprovide means for positioning and holding workpieces more convenientlyand quickly. A specific object is to devise a vise parallel arrangementby means of which a feeler gauge may always be readily inserted for arange of relatively narrow workpiece thicknesses.

Another object of the invention is the combination with a vise of astandard vise parallel and compensating parallel means capable of beinginstantly engaged over a movable vise jaw in vertically spacedrelationship to the standard vise parallel. With this arrangement rapidholding may be accomplished for any one of the wide range of workpiecesizes and shapes.

A further objective of the invention is to devise a vise parallel whichmay have a range of angularly formed surfaces and shapes to deal withclamping requirements for many different shapes and forms of workpieces.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a compensatingparallel for use with vise jaws in a position to allow a cutter such asa milling cutter to form a cut of a depth which may approach and extendbelow the level of the top surfaces of the vise jaws.

With the foregoing considerations and objectives in mind, I haveconceived of an improved compensating parallel holding principle whichis one preferred embodiment comprises a compensating parallel structureformed along one side with vise jaw engaging means for overlying andconveniently engaging an upper surface of a movable vise aw.

The compensating parallel by means of the engaging part may besuperimposed on the movable jaw and easily held by an operator while headvances the movable jaw into a clamping position with a workpiece to bemachined. An important feature of this compensating parallel is that itmay be utilized for a wide range of work piece thicknesses.

By reason of the depending relationship of this compensating parallelbetween the vise jaws, the bottom of the compensating parallel may belocated in spaced relation to either the bottom of the vise or an uppersurface of a standard parallel located in the bottom of the vise.Therefore, it will be readily seen that room or space may in all casesbe maintained for inserting a feeler gauge between the bottom of theworkpiece and its supporting surface. When used with a standard parallelthe depending parallel functions to provide a compensating means forholding the movable jaw against workpieces of various thicknesses andshapes.

The nature of the invention and its other objects and novel featureswill be more fully understood and appreciated from the followingdescription of a preferred embodiment of the invention selected forpurposes of illustration and disclosed in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view illustrating a vise structure of the classemployed in machine tools such as milling machines and the like;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the structure shown in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a detail perspective view of the compensating parallel ofthe invention;

FIGURES 4, 5 and 6 are perspective views illustrating different forms ofcompensating parallels;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view partly in cross section illustratinga vise mounted in a milling machine and equipped with both a standardvise parallel and the compensating parallel of the invention;

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the viseassembly of FIGURE 7 further illustrating the use of the compensatingvise parallel of the invention in one operative position;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary elevational view of a vise and parallelassembly in which a pair of compensating parallels are combined with astandard parallel; and

FIGURE 10 is another elevational view of a vise and compensatingparallel used independently of a standard parallel.

Considering the structure shown in the drawings in greater detail,FIGURE 1 illustrates a conventional travelling vise structure of thetype used in milling machines and the like. The vise structure includesa base .1, a fixed vise jaw part 2 and an adjustable jaw part 4. The jawpart 4 is actuated by a screw 6 rotatably mounted at one end in abearing 8. The vise jaw 4 is thus adjustable over a horizontal bottomsurface 10 formed in the base 1. The vise structure described, asfurther shown in FIG URE 8, is formed with clamping lugs 12 and 14 whichreceive bolts 16 engageable in a slide member 18 which is in turn guidedby guide posts 20 in ways as 22.

As further illustrated in FIGURE 7, the slide 18 is travelled in thewell-known manner beneath a stationary milling head 24 in which isrotatably supported a milling cutter 26. Also shown in FIGURE 7 are abase or stand 28 and a supporting table section 30.

In accordance with the invention, I provide a work holding compensatingparallel which may be constructed in any one of several different formsand which may be utilized with the vise and milling cutter arrangementabove described.

In one preferred form the compensating parallel of the invention may beconstructed as shown in FIGURES l to 3 inclusive and FIGURES 7 and 8. Asshown therein this preferred embodiment of compensating parallel isdenoted generally by the numeral 40 and may be used in combination Witha standard parallel 42.

As is well known the standard type of parallel as 42 usually comprisesan elongated bar member of generally rectangular cross section and thisbar member is formed with true parallel top and bottom surfaces 42a and42b so that when the bottom surface 42b is solidly based on the visebottom 10, the top surface 42a will lie in a true horizontal plane onwhich surface a bottom side of a workpiece may be supported in a correctparallel relationship.

The compensating parallel member 40 is also constructed as a solidelongated bar of rectangular cross section and of a length generallycorresponding to and slightly less than the length of the vice jaws 2and 4. Along one side the compensating parallel is formed with a raisedjaw engaging part 44 which is constructed with a relieved undersurface46. The surface 46 is made parallel with and adapted to overlie a topsurface 48 (FIG- URE 8) of movable vise jaw 4. The compensating parallel40 is also constructed with vertically disposed parallel surfaces 48 and50 of which surface 50 is a work engaging surface for engaging aworkpiece W as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 and of which surface 48 is amovable jaw engaging surface.

As will be readily understood from an inspection of FIGURE 2, thecompensating parallel is conveniently made of a thickness which exceedsthe thickness of the standard parallel 42 appreciably.

Thus it will be apparent that a relatively narrow workpiece Wsubstantially less in thickness than the standard parallel 42 may besolidly based on parallel 42 and readily clamped and held by engagingthe compensating parallel 40 and jaw 4 against one side of theworkpiece. Therefore, a range of workpiece thicknesses may beconveniently accommodated without changing the standard parallel.

It is also pointed out that the compensating parallel of the inventionis made with a bottom surface 54 and a top surface 52 which is soconstructed as to be at a level below the level of the top surfaces 46and 47 of jaws 4 and 2 respectively. In addition the vertical depth ofthe compensating parallel as measured between the surfaces 52 and 54 ischosen of a dimension such that the bottom surface 54 may occur with anydesired spacing relative to a standard parallel top surface. Thisdimensional relationship provides several other novel features of adesirable and important nature. Thus in the case of a vertical dimensionproviding for the compensating parallel being spaced from the top of thestandard parallel, there is achieved adequate clearance for a thinfeeler gauge of relatively narrow standard width to be readily insertedinto a space resulting from the entire bottom surface of workpiece W notbeing fully in contact with the bottom parallel 42, and the narrowfeeler gauge may be inserted into such a clearance without obstructionby jaw 4 or parallel 40.

Therefore, the workpiece may be more quickly driven down into a solidlybased parallel position if a feeler gauge detects a slight clearance. Inthe case of the recessed relationship of surface 52 relative to jaw topsurface 47, several advantages may be realized. First, the compensatingparallel may be used with standard parallel of a number of thicknesses.Secondly, the arrangement of the surface 52 at a level below the top 47of jaw 2 provides for a cutting tool being worked to remove an uppersection of workpiece W down to and below the level of jaw surface 47without danger of contacting the top of hardened steel jaw 47 and thusimpairing the cutting edges of the tool 26.

I may also wish to utilize two compensating parallels with a standardbottom parallel where it may be desired to maintain both vise jaws outof contact with the workpiece, as well as the bottom standard parallel.FIGURE 9 illustrates the combination of two compensating parallels 7t)and 72 having jaw engaging parts 43 and 45 which are engaged over visejaws 2 and 4 to hold a workpiece W on a standard parallel 42 in positionto be engaged by a cutter 26.

In this case the recessed relation of the surfaces 74 and 76 provideclearance space for the relatively large diameter tool 26' to remove asection of metal from the workpiece W well below the tops 46' and 47 ofthe vise jaws 2' and 4'. This arrangement provides still furtherversatility in that the machine operator may readily apply a feelergauge between the standard parallel 42 and the bottom of the workpiece Wfrom either side of the vise.

I may also desire to employ the parallel member of the invention in someinstances independently of a standard parallel and one such arrangementhas been illustrated in FIGURE 10. As noted therein the parallel member80 is p ovided with a jaw engaging part 82 and is made of a verticaldepth such that it may extend well down into the vise in the mannerindicated and in this case the bottom 86 of the vise 88 is used as areference surface to properly support the workpiece W2.

FIGURE 10 also illustrates the use of other holding means incorporatedin the parallel for attachment to a vise jaw. For example, numeral 87denotes a magnet insert recessed in the parallel in a position to engageagainst and lock with the ferrous metal surface 90 of the jaw 92.Various other holding means may be employed for any of the forms ofparallels disclosed in this invention.

In connection with using a compensating parallel either combined with orindependently of a standard parallel there may occur certain types oftool working operations involving irregularly or angularly shapedsurfaces and in such case I may provide the compensating parallel of theinvention with angular holding surfaces as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6.

Numeral .100 denotes a parallel with jaw engaging part 102 and angularholding surfaces 104 and 106 which extend in vertical planes. FIGURE 5indicates a parallel with jaw engaging part 112 having angular surfaces114 and 116 which extend horizontally. These surfaces are adapted toengage and hold workpieces of the irregular, round or angled shape.FIGURE 4 illustrates a parallel 120 having a jaw engaging part 122 andin an angularly recessed surface .124.

Various other modifications may be resorted to in keeping with the scopeof the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for holding a work piece which is to be machined, andwhich has a vertical surface, said appartus including a machine vise foruse on a machine tool having a vise supporting surface which lies in ahorizontal plane, said machine vise being formed with a fixed vise jawhaving a fixed vertical work engaging surface, a base surface whichextends at right angles to the fixed vise jaw in a plane parallel to thesaid vise supporting surface and an adjustable vise jaw movable alongthe said base surface and having a vertical work engag ing surface whichis parallel to the said fixed vise jaw, a bottom vise parallel mountedon the said base surface in a position to support the workpiece in araised position above the jaws and a compensating vise parallelsuspended from the adjustable jaw in spaced relationship above thebottom vise parallel and movable with the adjustable jaw to engage andhold the vertical surface of the workpiece against the fixed verticalwork-engaging surface of the said fixed jaw while supported on thebottom vise parallel in right angular relationship to the said visesupporting surface of the machine tool.

2. A structure according to claim 1 in which the compensating viseparallel comprises an elongated member formed at one side with avertical jaw engaging parallel surface and at the opposite side with asecond vertical surface parallel to the jaw engaging surface and a jawengaging part which extends outwardly from the top of one of thevertical surfaces at right angles thereto.

3. A structure according to claim 2 in which the elongated member isformed with a top surface which occurs at a level below the level of thetop of the said fixed jaw.

4. An apparatus for holding a workpiece to be machined said apparatusincluding a machine vise for use on a machine tool having a visesupporting surface which lies in a horizontal plane, said machine visebeing formed with a fixed vise jaw having a vertical work engagingsurface, a horizontal base surface which extends at right angles to thework engaging face of the fixed vise jaw in a plane parallel to the saidvise supporting surface of the machine tool and an adjustable vise jawadjustable along the base surface and having vertical work engagingsurface which is parallel to the work engaging surface of the fixed visejaw, a bottom vise parallel located on the said base surface forreceiving the said workpiece, said bottom vise parallel having avertical dimension which provides for supporting a workpiece in a raisedposition above the said jaws a desired distance, and said bottom viseparallel having a width which exceeds the thickness of the saidworkpiece, and a compensating parallel supported on the movable vise jawin spaced relation to the bottom vise parallel and movable intoengagement with the workpiece and said compensating parallel being of awidth greater than the width of the bottom parallel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 789,405 5/1905 Ascher 2692711,071,289 8/1913 Bader.

2,606,470 8/1952 Kinney 269281 X 3,173,676 3/1965 Chenette 269240FOREIGN PATENTS 937,346 3/ 1948 France.

OTHER REFERENCES American Machinist, Dec. 14, 1959, Drillpress ViseNeeds No Parallels (Koslow), page 146.

LESTER M. SWINGLE, Primary Examiner L. GILDEN, Assistant Examiner US.Cl. X.R. 269315

